Edge adjustment device for doors



Dec. 3, 1968 1.. L. BAUDE 3,413,762

EDGE ADJUSTMENT DEVICE FOR DOORS Filed Jan. 11, 1967 IZ.':NvE1-o12, mmim11-- ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,413,762 EDGE ADJUSTMENT DEVICE FORDOORS Lucien Louis Baud, St. Germain-en-Laye, France, assiguor to TheSteelcraft Manufacturing Company, Rossmoyne, Ohio, a corporation of OhioFiled Jan. 11, 1967, Ser. No. 608,658 3 Claims. (Cl. 49-501) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE The disclosure relates to prefabricated doors formed ofsheet metal for installation in a casing or doorframe, also formed ofsheet metal. In order to compensate for variations in the size of theprefabricated door and its casing or frame, the door includes at leastone edge adjustment device arranged to be regulated after the door isinstalled in the casing. In the disclosure, the adjustment device isinstalled in the lower edge portion of the door which includes a fixed,downwardly facing reinforcement channel. The edge adjustment device isin the form of an upwardly facing, channel-shaped adjustment railslidably fitted within the recess delineated by the reinforcementchannel and biased downwardly by a series of spaced springs maintainedunder compression between the reinforcement channel and the adjustmentrail. Adjustment screws pass through the adjustment rail and intothreaded engagement with the fixed reinforcement channel, wherebyadjustment of the screws in one direction forces the adjustment railinwardly, counter to the biasing springs, while adjustment in theopposite direction permits the compression springs to force theadjustment rail outwardly.

This invention relates to doors, particularly to sheet metal doors whichare prefabricated at the manufacturing plant, then installed within asheet metal door casing, which is also prefabricated. The door casing orframe is assembled and installed in the field in the opening of a wall,then the door is hung Within the casing.

In installing the prefabricated casing and door in the field, it may benecessary to trim the jambs of the casing, in order to fit the doorcasing within the preformed opening in the building wall. In otherinstances, where the casing and door fit properly, it may be necessaryto change the clearance between the lower edge of the door and the floorlevel because of rugs or other floor coverings or to prevent drafts dueto excessive clearance.

It is not particularly difiicult to fit the casing to the opening,particularly with reference to the vertical dimension, in order toprovide a fit with respect to the floor level. However, the fitting of asheet metal door within the casing, presents a more complex problemsince it is a great deal more difiicult to trim the lower (or upper)edge of the sheet metal door to fit the casing than it is to trim thejambs.

One of the primary objectives of the present invention has been toprovide an edge adjustment device for sheet metal doors, which permitsthe dimension of the door to "be varied in the vertical direction simplyand conveniently after the door has been hung within a door casing whichis installed in the building wall.

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According to this aspect of the invention, a typical composite sheetmetal door, for which the present edge adjustment device is particularlyintended, includes spaced inner and outer panels, with an internal coreor filler of honeycomb construction disposed between the spaced panelsto impart stiffness to the door and to provide a sound deadening andheat insulating effect. The top and bottom marginal edge portions of thedoor each include a fixed, outwardly facing reinforcement channel havingopposed, outwardly projecting limbs seated against and spot welded tothe spaced panels of the door for reinforcement.

The edge adjustment device of the present invention is intendedparticularly for installation within the channel-shaped recess which isprovided by the fixed reinforcement channel along the lower edge of thedoor, thus taking advantage of the fixed reinforcement channel toprovide a recess for the adjustment device. The edge adjustment devicemay be installed along the upper edge portion of the door in the samemanner if desired; however, in most cases, a closure cap is insertedalong the upper edge portion of the door to close off the channelshapedrecess delineated by the fixed, upwardly facing channel.

A further objective of the invention has been to provide an edgeadjusting device which is of simple construction and which isinconspicuous so as not to detract from the appearance of the door afterit is hung.

The adjustment device essentially comprises an upwardly facingchannel-shaped rail which is installed in the downwardly facing fixedchannel at the lower edge portion of the door. In other words, thechannel-shaped adjustment rail, when installed in the lower edge of thedoor, faces upwardly and includes spaced limbs which interfittelescopically the downwardly projecting limbs of the fixed reinforcingchannel. Suitable adjusting devices connect the adjustment channel railwith the fixed channel, providing relative adjustment.

A further objective of the invention has been to provide an edgeadjustment rail particularly for providing adjustment between the loweredge of the door and the floor level in which the adjusting means areaccessible for tool engagement in this restricted space after the dooris hung, and in which the adjusting means are selflocking.

According to this concept, the channel-shaped adjustment rail, whichfits within the downwardly facing lower reinforcement channel, isprovided with a plurality of coil springs which urge the adjustment railoutwardly. Respective adjustment screws pass through the horizontal Webof the adjustment rail and through the coil springs, with upper endportions threaded into the web of the fixed reinforcement channel.

The heads of the adjusting screws, which are hexagonal in the presentdisclosure, are seated within cylindrical recesses which are formed inthe web of the adjustment rail. The depth of the recesses issubstantially equal to the thickness of the heads of the adjustmentscrews, such that the outer surface of the heads normally is flush withthe outer surface of the horizontal Web of the adjustment rail.

Before the door is hung within the casing, the adjusting screws arethreaded in sufficiently to provide a substantial amount of clearancerelative to the floor level. Thereafter, the adjustment rail is leveredupwardly with a suitable leverage tool against the compressive force ofthe coil springs to expose the heads of the adjustment screws for toolengagement. In this position, a tool, such as an open end wrench, isfitted upon the head of each adjustment screw and the screw is turneddownwardly until the lower surface of the head is disposed at apredetermined distance above the floor level.

At this point the wrench is removed and the leverage tool is relaxed topermit the coil springs to force the adjustment rail downwardly intoengagement with the adjusted heads of the screws. When the adjustmentrail reaches this position, its lower surface will be located a distanceabove the fioor level corresponding to the predetermined clearancebetween the lower surface of the adjustment screw heads and floor level.

The pressure of the coil springs transmitted by the adjustment rail tothe heads of the screws locks the screws functionally in adjustedposition.

The various features and advantages of the invention will be moreclearly apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a general elevation illustrating a typical sheet metal doormounted in its casing and equipped with the edge adjustment rail of thisinvention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line22 of FIGURE 1, detailing the adjusting rail at the lower edge portionof the door and showing the manner of setting the position of theadjustment rail with reference to the floor surface or door sill.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGURE 2,showing the edge adjustment device after it has been set with referenceto the floor.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the lower edge portion ofthe door, taken from FIGURE 1, further detailing the edge adjustmentrail.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4,further detailing the construction of the edge adjustment rail.

DOOR STRUCTURE The door, indicated generally at 1, which has beenselected to illustrate the principles of this invention, is fabricatedfrom sheet metal, comprising spaced panels 2 and 3 (FIGURES 2 and 5),with a core or filler 4 is interposed between the panels 2 and 3. Thecore is formed of stiff fibrous sheet material of honeycomb formation,suitable to stiffen the panels and to provide a sound deadening effect.

The sheet metal door 1 is of composite design, the panel 3 havingflanges 5 forming the vertical edges of the door. The panel 2 has itsopposite vertical edges configurated to interfit the edge of the panel 5so as to form the seams 6-6.

Each seam 6 comprises a groove 7 formed in the edge of the flange 5 ofpanel 3. A narrow flange 8 is formed along the edge of the companionpanel 2 and includes a lip 10 which interfits the groove 7. The seam maybe completed by spot welding.

The upper and lower horizontal edges of the door each are closed off byan outwardly facing, fixed reinforcement channel which is spot weldedbetween the panels 2 and 3. The edge adjustment device or rail of theinvention is seated within the longitudinal recess which is delineatedby the fixed reinforcement channel at the lower edge of the door (and ifdesired, along the upper edge of the door) as described later.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the door 1 is hung in the usual way within acasing 11 which may also be fabricated from sheet metal members,comprising vertical jambs 1212, with a horizontal header 13 extendingacross the upper end of the door opening between the jambs. The

casing is installed in the door opening within the wall 14. in the field(FIGURE 1), the door being hung in the casing 11 by means of hinges 15,shown in broken lines in FIGURE 1. The swinging edge of the doorincludes the usual lock which is operated by the knob 16.

As shown generally in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the lower reinforcementchannel 20 faces downwardly and includes a cross web 21 havingdownwardly projecting limbs 2222. The door panels at 2 and 3 are spotwelded as at 17 to the limbs 2222 of channel 20. The upper edge portionof the door includes a channel (not shown which is similar to the lowerchannel 20 except that its position is reversed, with the limbs 22projecting upwardly.

As best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the edge adjustment device or rail ofthe present invention, indicated generally at 23, is installed looselybetween the limbs 2222 of the lower channel.

As noted, a similar adjusting rail 23 may be installed in the upper edgeof the door as indicated generally at 23 (FIGURE 1). In this instance,the parts are reversed with reference to the position shown in FIGURES 2and 3.

In the present disclosure, the adjustment or compensating device 23 isdisclosed in detail in relation to the floor 24 of the building. It willbe understood that the adjustment device is also intended to be utilizedin installations where the door casing 13 includes a raised threshold(not shown) extending across the floor at the lower end of the casing.

It will be understood at this point, that the adjustment device or rail23 is installed initially within the lower edge portion of the doorbefore the door is hung; thereafter, the adjustment rail is reset in thevertical plane to accommodate the clearance between the surface of thefloor and lower edge of the door. Thus, the device 23 compensates forvariations in the floor level which are met in the field and, therebyfacilitates installation.

ADJUSTMENT RAIL STRUCTURE As noted earlier, the adjustment rail assemblyis disclosed in relation to the lower edge of the door. Referring toFIGURES2-4, the adjusting device 23 essentially comprises an upwardlyfacing channel-shaped rail which telescopically interfits the downwardlyfacing channel 20 along the lower edge portion of the door. The rail 23comprises a web 26 having a pair of upwardly projecting limbs 2727,which slidably interfit the downwardly projecting limbs 2222 of thechannel 20. The adjustment rail 23 extends across the full width of thedoor, substantially coextensive with fixed channel 20, as shown inFIGURE 5.

As viewed from above (FIGURE 5) the opposite ends of the adjustment rail23 are provided with closure flanges 28 which reside within the flanges5 at the opposite edges of the door. The closure flanges 28 aregenerally channelshaped as viewed from above. One of the limbs 30 of thechannel-shaped closure flange seats against one of the limbs 27 of theadjustment rail and is spot welded thereto. The other limb 31 of the endclosure flange 28 is offset inwardly as at 32 with respect to theadjacent limb 27 ot' the adjustment rail 23. The offset 32 providesclearance for the seam 6. This construction is duplicated at oppositeends of the adjustment rail 23.

The adjustment rail, when mounted in the lower edge portion of the door,may be raised or lowered after the door is hung, as noted earlier. Forthis purpose, the channel 23 is retained in place along the lower edgeof the door, by a series of adjustment screws 33, in the presentinstance two screws, as indicated in FIGURE 1. Each adjustment screw 33includes a threaded shank 34 (FIGURES 24) which passes through a tappedhole 35 formed in the horizontal web 21 of the fixed channel 20. Thelower end of each adjusting screw 33 includes a head 36 which, in thepresent example, is hexagonal in shape. It will be understood, thatscrews having standard heads of various designs may be utilized in placeof the type illustrated herein.

In order to provide a flush surface across the Web 26 of the adjustmentrail 23, which is contiguous to the surface of the floor 24, the Web isprovided with respective dimples or circular depressed recesses 3737 toaccommodate the head 36 of each screw (FIGURES 3 and 4). Each recesscomprises a cylindrical wall which is tapered upwardly from the lowersurface of web 26. The recess 37 terminates with a wall 38 adjoined tothe cylindrical tapered wall and displaced upwardly with respect to theweb 26 sufiiciently to seat the head 36 of screw 33.

Each adjustment screw 33 includes a coil spring 40 which is disposed incompression between the web 21 of the fixed channel and the inner wall38 of the recess 37. The compression springs urge the adjustment rail 23downwardly with respect to the fixed channel 20.

In adjusting the door after it is hung, a suitable lever age tool 41,having an angular foot 42 may be utilized. In making the adjustment, thefoot 42 is inserted within the space between the floor 24 and web 26 ofthe adjustment rail, with the foot 42 in a generally horizontalposition. The leverage tool or tools 41 are then swung downwardly, asindicated by the arrow in FIGURE 2, causing the foot to force theadjustment rail 23 upwardly, as indicated by the arrow. It will be notedthat this motion compresses the springs and exposes the heads 36 forengagement with a suitable tool 43 (FIGURE 2). The tool 43 may be anopen end wrench of conventional design.

The thickness of the head 36 of the adjustment screw is substantiallyequal to the depth of the recess 37, as shown in FIGURE 3. Before thedoor initially is hung, the screws are threaded inwardly to clear thefloor level substantially as indicated at A in FIGURE 2. With thisarrangement, the adjustment may be made in a simple manner by prying theadjustment rail 23 upwardly then adjusting the screws downwardly untilthe clearance between the floor level 24 and lower surface of the head36 is reduced approximately to that shown at B in FIGURE 3. As aconsequence, when the leverage tool 41 and wrench 43 are removed, theweb 26 of the adjustment rail 23 will drop downwardly with respect tothe fioor level 24 approximately as indicated at B in FIGURE 3.

When the adjustment rail 23 is forced downwardly by the compressionsprings 40 the inner wall 38 of each recess 37 will be forced intoengagement with the head 36 of the adjustment screw. This establishes africtional engagement with the heads so as to lock the assemblypermanently in its adjusted position.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An adjustment device for the edge portion of a door having anoutwardly facing fixed reinforcing channel providing a recess extendingalong the edge portion of the door. said adjustment device comprising:

a shiftable adjustment rail telescopically interfitted within the fixedoutwardly facing reinforcement channel and adapted to be set relative toa fixed surface;

a plurality of spring elements interposed between the fixed channel andadjustment rail and normally urging the adjustment rail outwardlyrelative to the fixed reinforcement channel and toward the said fixedsurface;

a plurality of adjustment screws passing through the adjustment rail andhaving shank portions in threaded engagement with the fixedreinforcement channel;

said adjustment screws, which pass through the adjustment rail, beingprovided with heads having a substantial thickness for tool engagement;

the adjustment rail having recesses formed in its outer surface with theheads of the adjustment screws seated therein, said recesses having adepth substantially equal to the thickness of the heads of theadjustment screws, whereby the heads normally reside in substantiallyflush relationship with the outer sur face of the adjustment rail in itsadjusted position with reference to the said fixed surface, adapting theadjustment screws to be adjusted to set the heads thereof relative tothe fixed surface, with the adjustment rail shifted inwardly relative tothe heads and biasing the spring elements.

2. An adjustmentdevice for the lower edge portion of a door having adownwardly facing fixed reinforcement channel disposed along the loweredge portion of the door adjacent the floor level of a building, saidadjustment device comprising:

a shiftable adjustment rail telescopically interfitted within thedownwardly facing fixed channel along the lower edge portion of the doorand adapted to be set relative to the surface of the floor level of thebuilding;

a plurality of spring elements interposed in compression between thefixed, downwardly facing channel and the adjustment rail and normallyurging the adjustment rail downwardly relative to the fixedreinforcement channel and toward the floor level;

a plurality of adjustment screws passing through the adjustment rail andhaving shank portions in threaded engagement through the fixedreinforcement channel;

said adjustment screws being provided with heads having a substantialthickness for tool engagement;

the outer, downwardly facing surface of the adjustment rail havingrecesses seating said heads, said recesses having a depth substantiallyequal to the thickness of the heads, whereby the heads normally residein substantially flush relationship with the outer surface of theadjustment rail in its adjusted position with reference to the floorlevel, adapting the adjustment screws to be adjusted to set the headsthereof relative to the floor level, with the adjustment rail shiftedupwardly relative to the heads and counter to the bias etfect of thespring elements, whereby, upon release of the adjustment rail, thespring elements urge the adjustment rail downwardly to a plane above thefloor level corresponding to the spacing of the heads above the fioorlevel.

3. An adjustment device for the lower edge portion of a door having afixed reinforcement channel providing a downwardly facing recessextending along the lower edge portion of the door adjacent the floorlevel of a building, said fixed reinforcement channel having a web and apair of limbs projecting downwardly from the web, said adjustment devicecomprising:

a shiftable adjustment rail telescopically interfitted within thedownwardly facing fixed reinforcement channel and adapted to be setrelative to a fixed surface;

said adjustment rail being channel shaped in cross section and having aweb and a pair of upwardly projecting limbs shiftably interfittedbetween the downwardly projecting limbs of the fixed reinforcementchannel;

a plurality of spring elements interposed in compression between the Webof the fixed reinforcing channel and the web of the shiftable adjustmentrail and normally urging the adjustment rail downwardly relative to thefloor level of the building;

a plurality of adjustment screws passing through the web of theadjustment rail and having shank portions in threaded engagement withthe web of the fixed reinforcement channel;

said adjustment screws including heads having a substantial thicknessfor tool engagement;

the web of the adjustment rail having recesses formed therein, saidrecesses each having an inner surface parallel with the web of the railand spaced inwardly a distance substantially equal to the thickness ofthe heads of the adjustment screws, with the heads normally residing inflush relationship with the Web of 7 8 the adjustment rail in itsadjusted position with References Cited reference to the floor level;UNITED STATES PATENTS whereby, in setting the ad ustment rail withreference to the floor level, the adjustment rail may be forced 463,88611/1891 m Q at 49-470 XR upwardly by operation of a suitable tool toexpose 5 12831131 10/1918 Fltzpafinck 160 376 XR the adjustment screwheads for tool engagement, 1,973,210 9/1934 Hllfnall et a1 49-501 XR andwhereby, upon release of the adjustment rail, the spring elements biasthe adjustment rail down- FOREIGN PATENTS wardly and into frictionalengagement with the heads 734,213 5/ 1966 C d of the adjustment screws,thereby to lock the ad- 10 justment screws in adjusted position. KENNETHDOWNEY, Primary Examiner.

